Sunday, April 8

A Week In

Yes, I'm in Edmonton already and, yes, I have started my new job. Crazy. It still feels like I'll be heading back to my "real" life in Red Deer any time now. Probably because I have been crashing here and there but will be blow up bed bound with DIW for April (and a hearty thank you to her). The new position is challenging - the cases are more complex and the politics are more difficult to navigate. It took me four days but I can now locate not only my office* and 4 of the 5 units I will eventually help to cover.

The apartment hunt continues fairly in vain - my location criterion has narrowed the search considerably and ensured that anything reasonably priced smells of garbage or was last decorated in 1982 from Ikea's cheapest offerings**. Widening the search just a tad there are a few promising units to peruse tomorrow - fingers crossed. I will feel infinitely better when I can begin to settle into my very own place.

One of my first acts as an Edmontonian was to attend the First Annual Edmonton Pirate Party. Photos to follow. There were piratey snacks like rat-infested popcorn, meat with cheese, ripped up bread, (popeye) smokes, ale, rum, pirate cookies and Cap'N Crunch. Arrrr. The lovely ShanWow and her man arranged a very invigorating treasure hunt with delightfully rhymey clues. As a designated sailor I did not partake but there was a round of battleshots over skype (very difficult to call shots over skype at a pirate fest) and boat races. Since the group was musical - and they kindly let me join anyway - we sang well-harmonized pirate tunes. Fer' yer hearin' pleasure

*Not entirely my office as I share this cupboard with two other lovely ladies
**I'm not so worried about decor as much as whether I find an apartment depressing or not. I think that is pretty reasonable. Today I saw a great apartment which, if it hadn't had most of its wall space covered in dark brown, fake wood, accordion closet doors I probably would have taken it. Stark whiteness with dirty and cheap kitchen fixtures also depresses me.